British Army is rejecting 200 would-be applicants every single day
Almost 74,000 applicants were rejected by the army in 2024-25, up 20,000 on the previous year.
TL;DR
- The British Army rejects over 200 applicants per day.
- Recruitment targets have been missed every year since 2010.
- In 2024-25, nearly 74,000 applicants were rejected.
- Over 32,000 rejections were for medical reasons, 360 for tattoos/piercings, and 22,000 from Commonwealth countries due to a foreign recruit limit.
- The army's size is at its smallest since the Napoleonic era, with only 75,000 trained soldiers.
- Recruitment targets are estimated at 11,000 annually to replace departing troops.
- The UK faces intensifying Russian threats, with alleged targeting of British drone and missile companies.
- Shadow defence secretary criticizes Labour for not committing sufficient funding to increase personnel numbers.
- Some tattoo and piercing rules remain despite relaxation over 10 years ago.
- An MoD spokesperson states intake has increased by 13% and more people are joining than leaving at a tri-service level.